Acid photogenerators are known for use in photoresist imaging elements. In imaging processes utilizing such elements, the acid photogenerator is coated on a support and imagewise exposed to actinic radiation. The layer containing the acid photogenerator is then contacted with a photopolymerizable or curable composition such as epoxy and epoxy-containing resins. In the exposed areas, the acid photogenerator generates protons which catalyze polymerization or curing of the photopolymerizable composition. Acid photogenerators are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,081,276, 4,058,401, 4,026,705, 2,807,648, 4,069,055, and 4,529,490.
Acid photogenerators have been employed in photoelectrographic elements to be exposed with actinic or undefined radiation as shown, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,316,088. Photoelectrographic elements have been found useful where multiple copies from a single exposure are desired. See e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,661,429 and 3,681,066 as well as German Democratic Republic Patent No. 226,067 and Japanese Patent No. 105,260. Sensitizer dyes have been disclosed with regard to such elements, but not for sensitization in the near-IR portion of the spectrum. See, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,525,612 and Japanese Patent No. 280,793.